"Musana"-Translated from Luganda means "light" or "sunlight." Musana Jewelry, an organization founded by myself, Kristen Daniels, and Melissa Sevy is an organization which focuses on empowering women in Uganda who are in the grasps of poverty, poor health, and illiteracy. As founders of Musana Jewelry we are on a mission to help others "Be a Light" to these women and help these women "Be a Light" to themselves through self-efficiency. Musana Jewelry has become larger than I expected much faster than I expected.
People often ask me why I am running a nonprofit organization while I'm in my senior year at BYU and working full time. I often wonder that myself. Then I also am asked if it is even making a difference. That question runs through my head at least ten times a day. Then I hear from the women who are employed by Musana and I realize why I work so hard and why it is all worth it.
Before working for Musana, Florence, a now single mother who just gave birth to her fourth child less than a month ago, struggled to provide enough food for her children and pay rent for her home. Recently I received this message from her, “i always thought of simple work that would enable me to look after my orphaned children with out straining and laboring very hard, am glad that am happy here and i can now afford to buy food, pay for my house rent, send my children to school and provide my personal basic needs”
The blessing of being able to see all the hard work paying off in individual lives is priceless. Florence recently was able to afford to give birth to her fourth child in the local hospital. I am happy to report that both she and the baby girl are doing well.
Sometimes I wonder what I am doing. I am not qualified to be doing this and I don't have all the skills needed to be running this organization. But there is one thing I have learned through all this. The Lord qualifies those whom He has chosen. I felt strongly that I was supposed to start Musana Jewelry along with Kristen and Melissa and now I can see how He has helped support us through other people's help, a great team who volunteer their time freely, and through other means I never thought possible. The Lord truly strengthens those who trust in Him.
www.musanajewelry.org
I'm glad you are back in the blogging world! I think you are a good blogger. I love the post about no empty promises and how hard you are working. When I was teaching school there was an attitude like that from some of my students and I have learned as you have, a great life lesson in meaning what you say, and say what you mean. I love this blog and love reading about your experiences. Keep the posts coming!
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